This league is so much harder than I thought...
COCHRANE ADMITS HEARTS NEED TO BE WARY OF ALL THEIR RIVALS
AN interested observer from afar, Alex Cochrane watched as unbeaten Rangers cruised to becoming Scottish champions for the first time in a decade.
Steven Gerrard’s side enjoyed a perfect record in the league at Ibrox as they rendered the title battle a one-horse race.
Yet now he is a Hearts player, on loan from Brighton, Cochrane is finding Scottish football is far more competitive than it looked last season.
With a quarter of the campaign gone, just five points separate the top five teams at the top of the Premiership table.
Hearts and Motherwell have both already claimed a point at Ibrox, while Dundee United beat Rangers at Tannadice.
Cochrane believes the league is so tough that any team can beat any other on their day.
That’s why unbeaten Hearts must be on their guard as they go from the underdogs winning an unexpected point at Rangers to favourites expected to defeat second-bottom Dundee at Tynecastle today.
‘It’s been a lot tighter than what I thought, compared to last year when Rangers walked away with the league,’ said the 21-year-old defender.
‘It’s been a tough battle. Every game I’ve played has been a proper test and that’s the thing about this league — there are no easy games.
‘And you can’t begin to think there are easy games otherwise teams will catch up and before you know it, the league will look a lot different.
‘I am surprised so many teams are taking points off each other.
‘Last season without crowds probably affected matches.
‘Now you go to away games and it’s a lot more hostile. This is a league where anyone can beat anyone on their day and it’s enjoyable to watch.
‘If we want to have a very successful season we have to treat each game like it’s the biggest game.
‘We have to beat teams like Dundee, beat teams who are lower down and when it comes to the likes of Celtic, Rangers or Hibs, we have to fight and get the points there as well. But Dundee have got good quality and good experience in their team. It will be a tough test.’ Ibrox last weekend was the biggest game of Cochrane’s career. He believes the performance, as well as the 1-1 result, will give Hearts confidence that they can keep their fine run going under Robbie Neilson. ‘It was fantastic,’ he said. ‘Walking out of the tunnel and hearing the roar of the Rangers fans, and playing in front of that many fans was a great experience. ‘To get the late equaliser was an even better feeling. I felt like we deserved it. ‘I saw how big an occasion it was and how we can compete with those kind of teams. It gave us a big boost because we know in the past Hearts have maybe not had the best results at Ibrox. ‘But I don’t think our unbeaten run puts extra pressure on us. We will just stick to our principles. We do have high expectations on us but I think that’s why we are in the position we are in now.’ Cochrane spent last season on loan at Belgian side Union SG but picked up a season-ending injury in February before the team went on to win the First Division. He remains baffled as to why he did not get a medal but is hoping to rectify that by claiming his first senior silverware as a Hearts player. He said: ‘I was part of the team that got promotion, which was nice, but I didn’t get a winner’s medal, unfortunately. ‘I saw a few players who had played less minutes than I had get a medal. It might just have been because I was injured and back in England recovering. ‘But that’s one thing about me — I want success in my career. I want medals and I want to win trophies as a team. I’m still young, I still have a long way to go. We just have to wait and see how this season goes. ‘Are Hearts capable of lifting silverware with the squad we have? Yes, you could say that. But it will be tough to get there and we have to keep fighting and pushing.’
Driven: Alex Cochrane wants to win trophies with Hearts